Multi-Head Displays in Linux

Introduction

June 19, 1999

By
Will Weisner

Multiple head display. Macs have had it for ages, Windows users just got it,
and you know you want it. Let's take a detailed look into what this
desktop-enhancing technology is, and how it works in Linux.

The term "multi-head" refers to using more than one monitor side-by-side to
create a very large logical desktop. For example, rather than having a single
17" monitor running at 1280x1024, it is possible to take two older 14" 800x600
monitors and place them side by side, creating a single 1600x600 display. If
this sounds impractical to you then you may be right; multiple heads take up a
rather large amount of space on your desktop, and they also require purchasing a
second monitor and a second video card. However, for true desktop junkies, more
is never enough.